ocr a level media coursework brief 2024

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As and a level media studies - h009, h409.

We currently have two versions of A Level Media Studies specifications available so please make sure you use the right one. The most recent version of the specifications has new set media products and applies to students who will be assessed from 2025 onwards.

For more information please read our update here .

Our A Level in Media Studies encourages students to study the media in an academic context and apply the knowledge and understanding gained to their own media productions. They develop critical thinking skills as they study the media in both global and historical contexts.

Specification code: H409 Qualification number: 603/2339/5 This qualification is available in English only First teaching 2023, first assessment 2025

Our AS Level in Media Studies introduces students to the influence of the media today, both nationally and globally. They study the impact of the media on society, culture, politics and the economy, and apply their theoretical knowledge and understanding in the production of their own media product.

Specification code: H009 Qualification number: 603/1943/4 This qualification is available in English only

Resource materials

Information, getting started, case studies and support

Example planning guides, teaching activities and more.

Practice papers, example answers, past papers and mark schemes

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• Indicative Content

Introduction

For the non-exam assessment, often known simply as coursework, you will be asked to devise and develop a cross-media product for an intended audience. Although the briefs change each year, they remain linked to the Close Study Products so you can expect to use the following forms:

• Print media: newspapers, magazines, advertising and marketing materials.
• Moving image: television programmes, music videos, film trailers.
• Online, social and participatory media: websites, blogs, social media advertisements and posts.
• Radio broadcasts.
• Video games.

The exam boards provide an outline of the context and aims of each brief, specifying the length, amount or duration of the texts. They will also give you a clear definition of the target audience. If you would like to know about the minimum requirements for each media form, read through the sections below that are relevant to your coursework.

Following the codes and conventions of newspaper design, your front cover should contain a masthead with the date and price. Research the difference between a tabloid, broadsheet and a blacktop newspaper because they will be branded differently to suit their target audience. There will also be incentives, such as competitions and coupons, positioned close to the title.

The audience will expect to see a main story, which is often called the splash. The image, of course, should grab the reader’s attention. However, the requirement often stipulates that this dominant image should not be used inside the newspaper.

Make sure you include a headline and byline for the main the story. Many newspapers often format the first paragraph differently to the rest of the copy. Known as the standfirst, the font is usually in bold and with a larger size.

Don’t forget to create an off-lead that will also appeal to the readership.

House Style

Importantly, you need to establish a clear house style with an appropriate register and mode of address . In other words, make sure your language suits the relevant demographic. For example, a tabloid might opt for a controversial and provocative headline compared to the more formal approach taken by a broadsheet.

For more information on the structure of a newspaper, read our guide to the  codes and conventions of front pages . The glossary might help to clarify some of terminology used on this page.

Related Pages

The design of the inside pages should reinforce the brand established on the front page. Put simply, you need to be consistent with your use of columns, headings, subheadings, colours and font choice. If size of the font on the front page is 10px, tracking is 0 and the lead is 10px, make sure your copy inside the paper is the same.

The brief might insist on at least 500 words of original copy and six other images. Of course, the mise-en-scène of the images must be appropriate to the style of the newspaper and engage the target audience. Be careful with the representation of people, social groups and places.

Finally, text and images should be combined into a suitable layout because you want to encode appropriate values and construct a clear point of view.

You will need to submit three or four pages. A cover page, content page and a two-page spread are probably the best options because you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the full range of magazine layouts. The right combination of text and images will achieve the top marks.

Front Cover

The first page should reflect the codes and conventions of the genre of magazine specified by the brief – a horror film fanzine will have a very different look and feel to a text targeted towards DIY enthusiasts. The values and ideology of the institution should be apparent in the choice of stories and representation.

Be sure to design a good title and masthead and position it appropriately on the page. You should also include the cover price and dateline. The exam boards often request at least three cover lines on the cover of the magazine so try to invent other relevant stories that might interest your audience.

Obviously, the main image is incredibly important because it will be the first thing that captures the audience’s attention. However, the brief might also stipulate two further smaller images or illustrations are required to demonstrate your understanding of the genre.

Arrange the headings and subheadings around the dominant image and make sure they are legible by choosing an appropriate font colour. Black text will only really work against a white background, so experiment with a range of colours. The font size needs to large enough to ensure readability.

Check out our guide to magazine covers for more information regarding their layout and form.

Internal Pages

The other pages should follow a suitable house style so use the same font size and weight for the main copy. If your columns are a certain width and are left aligned with a ragged right edge, make sure this format is repeated throughout the articles. The tone and style of the writing, or the mode of address, should also be consistent. Choose your words carefully – you will need at least 400.

Lots of candidates use an interview format, but make sure the responses communicate a clear point of view. A well-written article, such as a review or news report, with an appropriate ideological message is probably a better idea.

Detail is important. Include the folio and, perhaps, the magazine’s logo at the top or bottom corners of each page.

Finally, your seven or eight images should be original and fit the style of the magazine. Again, the mise-en-scène for a model train magazine with be very different to the glamorous shots needed for a bridal magazine.

Our  guide to a two-page spread  will introduce to the terminology used to define the different elements of a magazine.

Print Advertising

The shape and size of print advertisements will depend on their placement. You might be tasked with creating inserts for magazines, billboard posters, brochures, flyers and even fill the advertising space on the back of a bus. Therefore, the context will influence the layout and design of each text.

You will need to create at least three adverts which raise awareness of a brand, service or product. Although branding and identity are both important, each text should have a distinct marketing strategy or unique selling point. The exam board may ask for each advert to target a different demographic so think carefully about tweaking the representation and mode of address to suit the audience and context.

If you are going to encode a clear message and get the audience to engage with whatever you are promoting, you must exercise deliberate control over the connotations of the words and images you use on the print advertisements. Spend time getting the best shot of your celebrity who is fronting your campaign. Think carefully about the location and background. Create a mock-up of the product if necessary. The mise-en-scène and style of the images will help establish the brand and position the audience’s reaction to your promotional materials.

The lexical codes also need careful attention. Make sure your headlines and taglines are memorable. Use appropriate choices of font, type sizes and colour codes to create meaning.

Click the following link and learn more about the conventions of  print advertising .

Websites and Blogs

You will probably need to publish three pages. A homepage is essential because it will help define your values and point of view.

If the brief asks you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the key media concepts by creating a website or online blog, you will need to follow some well-established conventions. There are a few obvious features a user will expect to find when they visit a webpage. For example, you should include a navigation menu at the top of the page, or in a sidebar, with links to the other important pages. The website logo and title are often integrated into this header.

At the top of desktop browsers, the title and site icon should appear in the tab to let users identify your site more easily, especially if they are switching between a number of sites. Users also expect a footer to conclude each page.

To establish a convincing house style, each page should share various design elements. Make sure the headers, fonts, colours and layouts are consistent otherwise you message will get lost in a confusing user interface. Here, at media-studies.com , we use the typeface Arial for most writing, sized 16px and with the very specific hex code of #2b2b2b. This style is repeated on each to page to deliver a consistent experience no matter which section you visit.

User generated content (UGC) is another important part of the user experience. Incorporate interactive elements and some multimedia content, such as embedded audio and video files, to engage the audience. SoundCloud and YouTube offer effective streaming solutions. Social media links are another typical feature and allows the user to share your stories.

Comment forms and comment sections are a great way to connect with your users because it gives them an opportunity to voice their opinion on the subject matter. In this way, it will help position them to feel they belong to a community who share an interest in whatever you are selling.

In terms of information, you need to write at least 400 words and include around eight original images or illustrations. Remember, the representation of people and places must be appropriate and relevant to the content of your site. The mise-en-scène must be related to your subject matter and target audience.

Moving Image Advertisements

Developing an overall concept for a campaign is really challenging so spend some time researching the specified industry context and evaluate how existing products target their audience. This detailed knowledge and understanding of the media landscape will help inform and shape your own products.

The length of footage will depend on which platform the advertisements are being broadcast. For example, television slots are usually 30 seconds and TiKTok videos can now be a minute long.

The exam boards might also stipulate at least two filming locations are used and each text should have a specific USP or audience segment. Original footage only.

Before you point your camera at your fake celebrity and press record, think carefully about how the audience will consume the texts because the way we hold our phones to watch a TikTok video is very different to the widescreen of a television programme or a typical YouTube upload. This relationship between the width to the height of the image is known as the aspect ratio.

Clear communication of the brand or message is vital so make sure your audio-visual choices are deliberate and appropriate. Persuasive strategies, such as celebrity endorsement. For more information about appealing to the audience and why people consume the media, read our guides to the  Uses and Gratifications Theory  and  Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs . The lines of appeal listed by Gillian Dyer is also incredibly useful because they draw attention to the fantasies advertisers use to promote their products.

In order to construct a point of view that conveys the right attitude and belief for your campaign, think about the story. The use of narrative codes, such as  Propp’s character types  and  Todorov’s theory of storytelling , will improve your understanding of how texts are structured.

The best products will contain a wide range of shots and effective mise-en-scène, including props and costumes. In other words, do not limit your filming to your school. Use a logo within the advert in a way that promotes brand recognition.

Dialogue will be your biggest challenge. If you have a friend or family member talking to the camera, they need to stand close to the microphone so their voices are not lost in the wind. Dubbing dialogue to match the words with the actor is incredibly difficult. Fortunately, the microphones on most modern phones are excellent so you will have no trouble recording voice overs for your advertisements.

Finally, be aware that most free online editors will place a watermark the footage and charge you a small fee for removing their logo. Your school might have access to Adobe Premiere and After Effects, but do not be daunted by the software. Get stuck in.

For the top marks, you will need to demonstrate your awareness and skill of continuity editing. Check out this  guide to continuity editing  for six essential tips about working with your footage.

It is impossible to expect students to create a feature length film or an entire television programme. However, trailers and opening sequences are an excellent way for you to demonstrate your awareness of genre and form.

The minimum requirements will include at least two filming locations and the full range of camera shots, angles and movement to support the narrative.

You will also need to consider the mise-en-scene of each shot, including props, costume and lighting.

Although all the footage must be original, you can use existing music for the soundtrack.

The  narrative codes  need to be appropriate for the genre and form, so research the conventions of trailers and opening sequences. Watch lots of examples to increase your understanding of how these texts engage the audience.

Choose and combine signifiers that create the right representation for your story. The use of titles and graphics should reinforce your message and the action codes need to be appropriate for the target audience.

Finally, your texts should position the audience in relation to the characters and situation. Put simply, your villain should look like a villain.

Radio and Podcasts

The style of your text will depend on the brief. Factual broadcasts and news reports will have a different tone to a “behind the scenes” feature of a red carpet event. The target audience will also influence the rhythm of the piece.

You will probably need three minutes of content and at least three different voices to meet the minimum requirements. Use appropriate language and mode of address throughout.

Listen to a range of podcasts and tune into various radio stations. What conventions do these broadcasts follow? How do titles and non-diegetic sound help create meaning? What narrative codes are used to engage the target audience?

A narrator, interviewer or presenter can help establish the structure of the broadcast. They can also help anchor the listener’s interpretation of the situation or product. The use of different voices helps create interest, but pay attention to representation.

• Statement of Intent

You must also complete a Statement of Intent which outlines the connections between your knowledge of the key concepts and your own media texts. If you would like some suggests how to approach the Statement of Intent , please visit our guide. It is also important you are aware of the mark scheme so you should also read our outline of the coursework assessment objectives .

Further Reading

Rule of Thirds

Negative Space and Media Form

Continuity Editing

Images and Resolution Settings

Research and Preparation

Thanks for reading!

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Media studies.

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• Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation
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• Vladimir Propp
• Tzvetan Todorov
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• The Bechdel Test
• bell hooks and Intersectionality
• The Cultural Industries
• Hypodermic Needle Theory
• Two-Step Flow Theory
• Cultivation Theory
• Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory
• Abraham Maslow
• Uses and Gratifications
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• AQA A-Level
• Exam Practice

OCR A LEVEL MEDIA STUDIES (Specification code: H409)

Coursework production_video (unit’s code: h409/03-04), examples of students’ work.

You can find below some other examples of students’ work previously graded A*-A.

Example 1: A grade (Level 5 – 51 marks)

Research and planning blog: Media Coursework: Research And Planning

Example 2: A grade (Level 5 – 51 marks)

Research and planning blog: Media Studies: Research and Planning

Example 3: A grade (Level 5 – 50 marks)

Research and planning blog: OCR Media Studies NEA Research and planning

Example 4: A grade (Level 5 – 48 marks)

Research and planning blog: Research and planning

Other examples of students work:

CASE OF STUDY: Daughter Youth (Comparison: official music video/student work)

BRIEF AND MARKING SCHEME FOR 2024-2025

Brief and marking scheme for 2023-2024, brief and marking scheme for 2022-2023.

Click here  to see the briefs and marking scheme for the academic year 2022-2023.

BRIEF AND MARKING SCHEME FOR 2021-2022

Click here  to see the briefs and marking scheme for the academic year 2021-2022.

Music video theory

It is very important that you familiarise yourself with the theoretical approaches of the field you are getting into (the production of music videos ) You must know as much as possible about it, from its history and evolution to the way the music industry operates and its audience response .

Introduction: purpose and types of music videos

Examples of conceptual music videos.

History of music videos

Examples of “pre-music tv era” short music films.

The music industry

Music video channels

Music video theory: andrew goodwin, music video theory: richard dyer.

RESEARCH TASKS

These are the tasks that you will be expected to present in your blog . You will use Slideshare to convert your PowerPoint presentations and Issuu to present your written documents (pdf. format only)

You can find here a checklist that you can use to make sure that you have posted ALL the research and planning tasks.

Music video analysis

Audience analysis, script and storyboard.

You can download the storyboard template for your production clicking on the link below :

OCR guide to storyboards

Location reconnaissance form.

You must survey different locations for your production, looking at all aspects from suitability for the mise-en-scene and photography to accessibility and availability and conditions and requirements of use.

Production schedule

You must carefully schedule your production in order to maximise productivity and minimise costs , while successfully meeting all the artistic requirements of your production as well as your deadline .

Try to plan with the idea of minimising filming days and minimising locations and transport (perhaps using different areas of the same location that look different enough between them)

In the production schedule you must include the dates in which the whole production will be filmed, specifying sequences and shots , the locations , the cast and crew and the material resources needed, from photography (camera, tripod, SD card, batteries, charger, cleaning lens stuff, etc.) to props , make-up and costumes .

Location release form

Your production team will need written confirmation of the availability and permission of the required location for your production.

Cast release form

This is a consent form made by the cast of the film, in which they delegate on you (the producer) the rights to use the footage in any form required by your production.

This is the daily production schedule . You must make one for each production day , and needs to be handed every production day, alongside a copy of the storyboard pages that will be filmed, during the briefing for that production day.

Website checklist

Introduction to photography

Administration forms, statement of intent (approx. 500 words).

In this document, you must write a proposal for your production, answering the following two questions:

• How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief? Refer to your music video and your website in separate paragraphs. (approx. 400 words)
• How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production? (approx. 100 words)

Self-evaluation cover sheet

Using the examples provided, the brief and unit’s assessment criteria , you will be expected to self evaluate your production and allocate marks in each of the three objects of the evaluation:

• The music video (25 marks)
• The website (25 marks)
• Digital convergence (10 marks)

EXTENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Goodwin. Andrew. Dancing in the Distraction Factory: Music, Television and Popular Culture. Routledge. 1992

Vernallis, Carol. Experiencing Music Video. Aesthetics and Cultural Context. Columbia University Press, 2004

Eisner, Will. Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative: Principles and Practices.  Norton & Company, Inc., 2008.

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Coursework Guidance for Students - OCR A Level Media Studies

Subject: Media studies

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

25 March 2024

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A detailed and comprehensive support document for students completing their coursework component for OCR A Level Media studies.

Can be adapted easily to any brief Includes checklist of what to include from the NEA guidance released byt he exam board

Could be used and adapted for GCSE Media Studies NEA or coursework requirements.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

OCR A Level Media Studies Collection

Units of whole lessons to cover: -All Media Studies Theory to be studied at OCR A-level or GCSE Media studies -Lessons to cover all areas of the specification relevant to the areas of Film, Television, Radio, Videogames, Print adverts, Magazines, Newspapers and Online Media -Close study products include Jungle Book, Stranger Things, Forbrydelsen, Minecraft, The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Big Issue, Old Spice print ad, Lucozade print ad, Shelter print ad, new spec print ads, Dove, RIver Island, Shelter, The Radio 1 Breakfast Show, -A student guide for how to effectively complete the NEA required for OCR Media Studies for the print and music video options

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AS and A-level

Here you will find the non-exam assessment (NEA) record forms for AS and A-level subjects.

2024/25 record forms

Art and design 7201.

Component 1 NEA - personal investigation - Candidate record form

Component 2 NEA - externally set assignment - Candidate record form

Art and Design 7202

Art and design 7203, art and design 7204, art and design 7205, art and design 7206, computer science 7517.

Component 3 NEA - Candidate record form

Component 1 NEA Performance and choreography - Candidate record form

Design and Technology: Fashion and Textiles 7562

Design and technology: product design 7552, drama and theatre 7262.

Component 2 NEA Creating original drama - Candidate record form

Component 3 NEA Making theatre - Statement of dramatic intentions

Component 3 NEA Making theatre - Play approval form

Component 3 NEA Making theatre - Candidate record form

English Language 7702

Component 3 NEA Language in action - Candidate record form

English Language and Literature 7707

Component 3 NEA Making connections - Candidate record form

English Literature A 7712

Component 3 NEA Independent critical study: texts across time - Candidate record form

English Literature B 7717

Component 3 NEA Theory and Independence - Candidate record form

French 7652

Individual research project: Paper 3 Speaking - Title approval form

Paper 3 Speaking - Candidate record form

Geography 7037

Component 3 NEA Geography fieldwork investigation - Candidate record form

Component 3 NEA Independent fieldwork investigation - Candidate record form

German 7662

History 7042.

Component 3 NEA Historical investigation - Question approval form

Component 3 NEA Historical investigation - Candidate record form

Media Studies 7572

Cross-media production: Component 3 NEA - Candidate record form

Component 2 NEA Performance - Candidate record form

Component 3 NEA Composition - Candidate record form

Physical Education 7582

Component 3 NEA Practical performance - Candidate record form

Spanish 7692

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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Putin wishes ‘speedy recovery’ to victims of Moscow shooting – as it happened

This blog has closed, read our full report here:

• Full story: shootings and fire at Moscow venue
• 23 Mar 2024 Summary
• 23 Mar 2024 Putin wishes victims ‘speedy recovery’, deputy PM says
• 23 Mar 2024 At least 60 dead, Russia’s Investigative Committee says
• 22 Mar 2024 UN secretary general condemns attack in 'strongest possible terms'
• 22 Mar 2024 145 people injured in attack, says Moscow health ministry
• 22 Mar 2024 Islamic State claims members escaped after attacking concert hall
• 22 Mar 2024 Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on concert hall
• 22 Mar 2024 What we know so far
• 22 Mar 2024 Russia cancels all entertainment and mass events
• 22 Mar 2024 Children among those injured in shooting – report
• 22 Mar 2024 Search for concert hall attackers ongoing - reports
• 22 Mar 2024 Putin receiving regular updates on attack, says Kremlin
• 22 Mar 2024 Ukraine denies involvement in attacks
• 22 Mar 2024 40 dead, more than 100 wounded, says FSB
• 22 Mar 2024 Roof of concert hall where shooting took place is collapsing
• 22 Mar 2024 Russia calls on international community to condemn the 'monstrous crime'
• 22 Mar 2024 Moscow cancels all mass gatherings and strengthens security at airports and stations
• 22 Mar 2024 Opening summary

Roof of concert hall where shooting took place is collapsing

The roof of Crocus City Hall where gunfire and flames were heard and seen on Friday night is collapsing, RIA reports.

Here are videos emerging through social media:

‼️ Partial roof collapse in the "Crocus City Hall" building in #Moscow pic.twitter.com/iXjAQA50ma — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 22, 2024

⚡️⚡️ The roof began to collapse in the Crocus City Hall. There are people in the building. pic.twitter.com/ILDXuy6SCh — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 22, 2024

Here is a map of Crocus City Hall which is located about 20km from Moscow’s Red Square:

Here are some images coming through the newswires in Moscow where the city is on high alert following reported shooting attacks at a concert venue on Friday night:

A helicopter has been called in to extinguish the fires at Crocus City Hall following the gun attacks, TASS reports.

Images and videos on social media appeared to show other helicopters and multiple ambulances near the venue:

Helicopters, multiple ambulances near Crocus City Hall in Moscow pic.twitter.com/9lN37sSGoT — RT (@RT_com) March 22, 2024

⚡️100 rescued from basement of Moscow Concert Hall - Emergency Services pic.twitter.com/5E51CslZgl — RT (@RT_com) March 22, 2024

Russia calls on international community to condemn the 'monstrous crime'

Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has called on the international community to condemn the “monstrous crime” following the gun attacks at a concert hall near Moscow, Reuters reports.

Meanwhile, the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has issued a statement on the attacks, saying: “I strongly condemn such acts of violence, brutality and recklessness against civilians.”

John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters:

There’s no indication at this time that Ukraine, or Ukrainians were involved in the shooting … We’re taking a look at it, but I would disabuse you at this early hour of any connection to Ukraine.”

In response to whether this is a sign of cracks in Vladimir Putin’s regime, Kirby said:

There are people in Moscow and in Russia that object to the way Mr Putin is governing the country, but I don’t think we, at this early hour, can make a link between the shopping mall attack and political motivations. I think … we just need more time and we need to learn more information.”

Moscow cancels all mass gatherings and strengthens security at airports and stations

Here are the latest updates coming through Reuters on the attacks:

A second blast was reported at Crocus City Hall near Moscow, IFX reports.

Moscow has cancelled all the weekend’s mass gatherings, according to its mayor.

The first wounded victims are already in hospitals across Moscow, IFX reports.

Security measures have been strengthened at Moscow railway stations, TASS reports.

At least a dozen people have been killed and many more wounded according to unofficial reports in the worst terror attack in Russia in years, as gunmen in combat fatigues opened fire and detonated explosives in a big concert hall in Moscow.

Photos showed the Crocus City Music Hall engulfed in flames as videos emerged from the concert hall attack, showing at least four gunmen opening fire from automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives.

In one video, three men in fatigues carrying rifles fired at point blank range into bodies strewn about the lobby of the concert hall. The attackers also apparently detonated explosives, as the sounds of blasts could be heard in other videos from the attack.

The attacks come just days after the US embassy in Russia issued a security alert to US citizens.

The embassy also said that it is “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts”.

Actions that US citizens have been encouraged to take include avoiding large crowds, monitoring local media for updates and being aware of surroundings.

The embassy has also listed the following contact details for assistance:

US embassy Moscow, Russian Federation US citizens with emergencies, please call +7 (495) 728-5577 Outside of office hours, contact +7 (495) 728-5000 For routine American Citizen Services questions, please email: [email protected] U.S. Embassy Russia website

Department of State – Consular Affairs 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444

Opening summary

Moscow has suffered a major terrorist attack after several gunmen dressed in camouflage fired on people at the Crocus City Hall music venue on the outskirts of the city on Friday evening.

Here is what we know so far:

Between two and five gunmen were involved in the attack, Russian media reports. Footage showed people being shot in the foyer in a rampage-style atrocity.

The attackers also used explosives that started a large fire, state media reported. The fire has engulfed a third of the concert venue building and the roof of the building is almost completely engulfed in flames, Tass reported. Large plumes of smoke could be seen billowing into the sky.

Early reports put the death toll at 14.

Video footage published on Russian social media channels showed a large crowd of concertgoers attempting to flee the hall as numerous loud gunshots could be heard.

Special units of Russia’s national guard have arrived on the scene and more than 50 ambulance crews have been sent.

• Moscow concert hall attack

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